History

The museum was founded in 1910 under the name Grand Rapids Art
Gallery, which was soon altered to its present name. Initially
based in a residence, it moved to an historic Federal Building in
1981. In 2004, construction began on a new green museum building, which was to be the
world's first LEED
certified art museum. The 125,000 square feet
(11,600 m2) building, which features
20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of gallery and
exhibition space, was designed by architect Kulapat Yantrasast of
wHY Architecture.